Do I need a powerful PC to edit HD video?

Q I have an old camcorder but I am thinking of upgrading to a high-definition model. What would be the minimum upgrade requirements for my computer? I have an Advent desktop PC which I have already upgraded from 512MB of memory to 2GB. It has two hard disks of 120GB each. I have also changed my CD DVD burner to a Lightscribe model and upgraded the soundcard (all thanks to reading articles in Computeractive).

When editing my home movies I use Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9, which I will have to upgrade to Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum. It seems to me that it is a lot more expensive and complicated than just upgrading the camcorder.
Charles

A In one sense, moving to high definition (HD) is as simple as just buying a new HD camcorder. If you don’t do much editing of your video, you can play back the new footage on a TV (HD or not) or on the computer without much trouble, and some new camcorders even do rudimentary editing without requiring a computer.

If you want to edit, though, you’re right – you’ll need a relatively powerful computer. That’s because HD movies, having better picture quality, require both considerably more space on your hard disk and a lot more processing power.

You didn’t say which operating system your computer uses or what processor it has, but let’s start there. If you’re using Windows XP, the 2GB of memory is probably enough, but you may be better off adding another 1GB to take it up to three in total.

If you’re using Vista, that’s definitely a good idea. The processor should be quite a recent, fast one. An Intel Pentium Dual Core, Core Duo or Core 2 Duo (or the AMD equivalent) will be good, and the faster the better.

If you don’t have one of those processors you may need to invest in a new one, and because new processors don’t fit in well with old equipment that will probably require a whole new computer, sadly.
If you want to distribute your movies on disc you may need to invest in a Blu-ray disc burner because they may be too big for DVD.

The Lightscribe feature you mention is not relevant to HD but it does allow you to add professional-looking labels to any movies you distribute, which may be handy. As for software, if you’re already using Vegas 9 you’re most of the way there but you’re right that you’ll need to upgrade to the Platinum edition of that software to allow HD editing. Other readers with other video-editing software may find that their software already works with HD.

Finally, if you’re already working with Vegas your current camcorder is likely to be a digital one, so you probably already have a Firewire port on your computer for connecting the camcorder and downloading the recorded video. If not, check that your new PC has the parts needed to connect your new HD camcorder.